Just Growth- New Starter Farm Funding from FEA

Just Growth

Just Growth is a new programme launched on July 13 by the Real Farming Trust, which will provide a combination of technical support, grant and loan funding to new community owned, food growing and value adding enterprises.

Clare Hurrel of FEA said at the 13th July Launch that Just Growth was about environmental and socially just growth, and had grown out of the A Team Challenge as a pilot. Just Growth aims to protect the environment, increase people’s control over food growing, enable more people to eat better food and will support food enterprises run and owned by communities. It will provide started up finance, help existing food business to expand and diversify, or develop a new aspect to its businesses and support other projects connected to the community-farming sector. Normally a CBS or CIC /co-op structure will be suggested, with project planning clarity about how finance will be invested, and FEA will ask about how the project can be replicated , and the social benefits evaluated

The timetable: applications are open from 13 July to 30 September. 1-9 October selection of projects 10 October 29 February Assessment, fundraising etc., from30 September 2016 loans and grants to be drawn down… TBC